Introduction

Can I use wind energy to power my home? More people across the country are asking this question as they
look for a hedge against increasing electricity rates and a way to harvest their local wind resources.
Although wind
turbines large enough to provide a
significant portion of the electricity
needed by the average U.S. home generally
require 1 acre of property or
more, approximately 21 million U.S.
homes are built on 1-acre and larger
sites, and 19.3% of the U.S. population
lives in rural areas. [1] Small wind electric systems can contribute to our
nation’s energy needs.

Homeowners, ranchers, and small businesses can use wind turbines, like this Skystream 3.7 residential turbine, to reduce their utility bills. NREL/PIX 15030

A small wind electric system will work for you if:

There is enough wind where you live

Tall towers are allowed in your neighborhood or rural area (or you live in flat terrain with no tall obstacles nearby)

You have enough space

You can determine how much electricity you need or want to produce

You can interconnect with your utility service provider (assuming you have a grid-connection application)

It works for you economically.

This guide will provide you with basic information
about small wind electric systems to
help you decide if wind energy will
work for you.

Why Should I Choose Wind?

Wind energy systems can be one
of the most cost-effective home-based
renewable energy systems.
Depending on your wind resource, a small wind energy system can lower
your electricity bill slightly or up to 100%,
help you avoid the high costs of
extending utility power lines to
remote locations, and sometimes can provide DC or off-grid power.[2]
In addition, wind energy is clean, indigenous, renewable energy.

How Do Wind Turbines Work?

Wind is created by the unequal heating
of the Earth’s surface by the sun.
Wind turbines convert the kinetic
energy in wind into mechanical
power that runs a generator to
produce clean electricity.[3]
Today’s turbines are versatile modular sources
of electricity.[4]
Their blades are aerodynamically
designed to capture the
maximum energy from the wind.[5]
The wind turns the blades, which spin a
shaft connected to a generator or the generator's rotor, which makes electricity.[3]